The Provo Police Department say automated license plate reader cameras help solve crimes and identify suspect vehicles, but some residents worry the technology raises privacy concerns and could be vulnerable to outside risk.
Automated license plate reader cameras, or ALPR Cameras, quietly scan passing vehicles. Provo police said the systems give new leads, but some citizens are concerned about the data captured on the cameras.
Provo police operate 20 ALPR cameras across the city, but ALPR cameras are also operated by other Government departments, such as the parks departments, and by other private organizations, such as Brigham Young University.
They are often used to monitor vehicle traffic in and out of property, but it's what happens to the vehicle data collected and stored on larger networks, such as Flock Safety, that concerns citizens.
"I don't see an issue with a security camera network," Dallin Flake, a concerned Provo citizen, said. "I do see an issue with a centralized nationwide network of cameras."
Police said that's not how the system works in Provo. Officers used the cameras to help generate leads and to narrow active investigations.
"Now instead of 100 people getting pulled over or looked at by the officers that are driving around, they're now looking for a specific vehicle, and it narrows it down," Robert Patrick, a Provo police captain, said.
Patrick has overseen the implementation of ALPR cameras in Provo.
The system is tightly controlled, preventing officers from looking up anyone they want. However, the greater concern does not stem from the built-in safeguards, but rather from the data system itself.
Police said every search must be connected to a case and is subject to review.
"That officer has to have a case number and has to have a reason for the search," Patrick said.
But opponents argue that the existence of the data risks misuse.
"Provo's collaboration with Flock presents a potential for abuse and a potential for misuse, and also very serious security concerns," Flake said.
Provo police currently use Flock Safety, an American company that operates security software and an AI-powered cloud-based storage system for law enforcement to access and review during investigations.
As more cities adopt ALPR technology, the debate will continue where communities should draw the line between security and privacy.
Provo police encourage everyone to take a look at their transparency portal to learn more about their usage of ALPR cameras. To learn about general camera locations, other third parties, such as deflock.org, have mapped out active locations.